Week of October 10, 2024

Catalina Plane Crash Victims Identified

Los Angeles officials on Thursday October 10 released the identities of three of the victims of a small plane crash that occurred on Catalina Island onTuesday night. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office released the names and ages of three of the five people found dead at the scene. One of the people who died in the crash wasa 33-year-old Sr. Haris Ali of Fullerton. Another body recovered from the crash was confirmed to be that of 55-year-old Margaret Mary Fenner. The registered...

Tito's Mexicana Raises Almost $23,000 for the Culver City Arts

A record turnout of over 1,200 locals attended the 7th annual Tito's Tacos Fiesta Mexicana was held last Friday, October 4 at Tito's Tacos in Culver City. Reminder that Tito's Tacos and Tito's Handmade Vodka team up for this wonderful fundraiser raising nearly $23,000 to benefit the Culver City Arts Foundation (100% of the profits go to the nonprofit), and this year was an even bigger success than last year! Please see below & you may also find high rez images from the event at this link...

High Speed Chase With Suspect Hitting Cars and Damaging Property Ends in Culver City

The Los Angeles Police Department chased a dangerous high-speed chase that began near Exposition Park and ended in Culver City, where the individual surrendered to authorities. The suspect fled after police realized the truck he was driving was stolen and police began to pursue him. The driver narrowly missed a car driving by and collided with two police cars and a parked car before speeding onto the westbound 10 Freeway. After exiting the 10 Freeway in Culver City, the driver continued to...

Pop on by Our Pop-up Book Sale Saturday

Mark your calendars for another amazing children's book pop-up sale at the Culver City Julian Dixon Library! A great opportunity to buy gently used children's books at super low prices. It will be held on Saturday, October 19 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm in front of the Library. In addition, we will have a special opportunity to meet the author of From Park to Playa. Culver City resident, Nell Cross Beckerman, has written an amazing book about the Park to Playa Trail with lots of local references....

Culver City Chamber Of Commerce Announces Endorsements

The Board of Directors of the Culver City Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Councilmember Albert Vera, Denice Renteria and Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin for election to the City Council on November 5, 2024. The Board's vote, which followed careful consideration of endorsement questionnaires, was nearly unanimous. Board Chair and interim CEO Ed Wolkowitz noted that the upcoming City Council election is of critical importance to the community. The current council majority has effected a sea change in...

Attorney General Bonta, Attorney General James Lead Coalition Suing TikTok

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and New York Attorney General Letitia James today co-led a bipartisan coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing separate enforcement actions against TikTok for violations of state consumer protection laws. Filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court, Attorney General Bonta's action alleges that TikTok exploits and harms young users and deceives the public about the social media platform's dangers. The action seeks significant penalties, as well as...

Culver City Considers Ban On Plastic Bottles, Balloons And Smoking

City officials are considering doubling down on what some councilmember consider environmentally conscious policies, including bans on everything from plastic drink bottles to astroturf. The city will soon begin surveying residents and business owners to gauge interest on prohibiting single-use plastic carryout bags, single-use plastic beverage bottles, the use and sale of balloons, public smoking and the use of astroturf, according to city officials. The effort stems from an April proposal by...

City Looks for Input to Streetscape Improvements in Arts District

The community is invited to discuss (and brainstorm!) about potential enhancements to the streetscape medians located in the Culver City Arts District between Helms Avenue and La Cienega Boulevard. The intent of the meeting is to collaborate with local stakeholders to re-envision these medians into a drought tolerant, low maintenance, signature amenity in the District. The meeting will be held on Saturday, October 19th, from10:30 AM to 12 PM. The meeting will be held at The Parks Project,...

Governor Newsom Issues Legislative Update

Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that he has signed the following bills: • AB 98 by Assemblymember Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale) – Planning and zoning: logistics use: truck routes. • AB 347 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) – Household product safety: toxic substances: testing and enforcement. • AB 772 by Assemblymember Dr. Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) – Child day care facilities. • AB 796 by Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) – Athletic trainers....

Fatal Vehicle Versus Pedestrian Traffic Collision

On Monday, September 30 at 4:26 pm, Culver City police responded to National Boulevard and Wesley Street regarding a major-injury traffic collision involving a vehicle and a male adult pedestrian. Culver City Fire Department personnel rendered medical aid and transported the pedestrian to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to the injuries sustained in the collision. Culver City Police Traffic Investigators and Forensics responded to investigate the collision. The driver of the vehicle...

Culver City Rotary Community Foundation Check Presentation

Culver City Rotary Community Foundation Presents check for $10,000 in support of Culver City Backpacks for Kids! This volunteer-run program that provides nutritious, child-friendly, easy-to-prepare food each week to CCUSD students facing food...

Ahuja Replace Tony Vinciquerra as CEO at Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra will step down from his role at the beginning of next year and will be succeeded by COO Ravi Ahuja effective Jan. 2, 2025, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. Vinciquerra, who joined SPE in 2017, will remain in an advisory role for SPE as non-executive chairman until the end of December 2025. He was involved in making decisions including divesting in most of the company's cable networks and the Crunchyroll acquisition in 2021, the company...

Shake shack Downtown Culver City Closed

The Shake Shack downtown Culver City is closed. Shake shake locations in California slated for closure, the fast-food chain announced. The decision comes after the restaurants were identified as underperforming and not projected to provide "acceptable returns," according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The affected locations include Shake Shacks in Oakland, Bunker Hill in Los Angeles, Koreatown, Silver Lake, and Westfield Topanga and Culver City. Despite these...

2024 – 2025 Property Tax Postponement Program Filing Period

Controller Malia M. Cohen today announced that the filing period for applications for property tax deferment are now being processed. California's Property Tax Postponement (PTP) Program, administered by Controller Cohen, allows homeowners who are seniors, are blind, or have a disability, and who meet income and other requirements to postpone payment of property taxes on their primary residence. In the 2023-24 tax year, California homeowners were able to postpone over $6.2 million in...

The Laurel Grand Opening Brings Affordable Housing To Santa Monica's Historic Nikkei Hall

EAH Housing, one of the largest and most respected nonprofit housing development and management organizations in the Western United States, today announced the completion and grand opening of The Laurel, a 58-unit permanent support housing development in Santa Monica, California. "Providing quality, affordable housing for the nation's most vulnerable residents is a core function of EAH Housing's mission," said Laura Hall, President and CEO of EAH Housing. "The Laurel is a testament to this...

USPS Announces Recommended Mailing and Shipping Dates for 2024 Holiday Season

The U.S. Postal Service announced its recommended mailing and shipping dates for holiday mail and packages today. The following are recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before Dec. 25. 2024 Holiday Mailing and Shipping Dates for Items Sent to Addresses in the Contiguous United States (Lower 48 States): • USPS Ground Advantage service: Dec. 18 • First-Class Mail service: Dec. 18 • Priority Mail service: Dec. 19 • Priority Mail Express service: Dec. 21 2024 Holiday Mailing and...

ERBA MARKETS SPECIALS

Visit ERBA MARKETS locations!!! SPECIALS are Thursday 10/10 thru Sunday...

Bus Detours During Construction

Bus detours have begun and will continue through the end of construction. All transit buses will detour onto Venice Boulevard between Clarington Avenue and La Cienega Boulevard. These detours will affect Culver CityBus Lines 1, 1C1, 5, and 7, LADOT CE437A, Big Blue Bus Route 17, and Metro Line 617. In general, Culver CityBus buses will use existing Metro bus stops on Venice. Use the NextCCBus app or visit the Culver CityBus website for updated bus stops,...

Governor Newsom Announces Judicial Appointments

Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his appointment of 18 Superior Court Judges, which include one in Colusa County; one in Contra Costa County; five in Los Angeles County; two in Orange County; three in Sacramento County; one in San Bernardino County; four in San Diego County; and one in Sutter County. Colusa County Superior Court Brendan M. Farrell, of Colusa County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Colusa County Superior Court. Farrell has served as District Attorney of...

New Details on Fatal Pedestrian Accident at National Blvd Intersection

The Culver City Police Department has released new details in the investigation of a fatal collision that claimed the life of a male pedestrian last week. According to the press release, the tragic incident took place at the intersection of National Boulevard and Wesley Street on the afternoon of Monday, September 30. Authorities have disclosed that neither impairment nor speed played a role in the deadly event, as initially believed. After a meticulous examination of the scene, it was...

Tara Barauskas Wil be Guest Speaker at October Woman's Club

The Culver City Woman's Club will have their October meeting on Monday, October 14, and will feature Tara Barauskas our guest speaker, Culver City Woman's Club will have to relocate due to the construction of the Jubilo Village affordable housing project at Culver Palms United Methodist Church. The club has held their meeting at the Church for 50 years. Tara Barauskas will speak about the project that is responsible for us needing to find a new meeting place for our club meetings. Please join...

California Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Law Enforcement with a Weapon and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

A California man pleaded guilty on Oct. 9, 2024, to assaulting law enforcement with a weapon and other charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election. Jerry Daniel Braun, 70, of South El Monte, California, pleaded guilty to six felonies, including one count of civil disorder; two...

Local Endorsements Announced

Following a candidate forum at which all six candidates participated, endorsement questionnaires, and electronic vote by all Members Democrats United announced Culver City endorsement of Albert Vera, Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin, and Denice Renteria for Culver City City Council. Following endorsement questionnaires, a meeting with candidates online, and an electronic vote by all members, Culver City Democrats United announces they ate proudly endorsing Lindsay Carlson for CCUSD Board of Trustees....

Tara Barauskas Will be Guest Speaker at October Woman's Club Meeting

The Culver City Woman's Club will have their October meeting on Monday, October 14, and will feature Tara Barauskas our guest speaker, Culver City Woman's Club will have to relocate due to the construction of the Jubilo Village affordable housing project at Culver Palms United Methodist Church. The club has held their meeting at the Church for 50 years. Tara Barauskas will speak about the project that is responsible for us needing to find a new meeting place for our club meetings. Please join...

Former Owner of 'The Timepiece Gentleman' Luxury Watch Consignment Store in Beverly Hills Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges

A Los Angeles man who ran a Beverly Hills luxury watch consignment business and was known as "The Timepiece Gentleman" pleaded guilty today to swindling dozens of his customers of out a total of at least $5.6 million. Anthony Farrer, 36, formerly of downtown Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud. He has been in federal custody since November 2023. According to his plea agreement, from November 2022 to November 2023, Farrer used his business – also...

UCLA to battle Minnesota Saturday at the Rose Bowl

Bill Seals, Sports Reporter

The last four weeks have been among the worst in UCLA Bruins football history. The Bruins have lost four straight games, by a combined total of 137-54. The latest loss was a 27-11 loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium on the Penn State campus last Saturday. The loss dropped UCLA to 1-4 on the season. Penn State improved to 5-0 for the season. The four losses were all to teams ranked in the top 25. The four teams currently have a combined record of 20-1. This was a very tough...

Old foes Centaurs and Mustangs clash in Bay League battle Friday

Steve Finley, Sports Editor

It will probably be cold and fogging in the South Bay on Friday night when Culver City high school's boys' varsity football team rolls into Manhattan Beach to play Mira Costa at 7 p.m. The Centaurs and the Mustangs have battled each other dating back to the 1990's and like most of the Bay league games the intensity level is very high. The Centaurs come into the game with a perfect overall record of 6-0 and a 1-0 Bay league record. The Mustangs are 4-2 overall and 1-0 in the Bay league. This...

2024 NFL Power Rankings – Week 6

Bill Seals - Fred Altieri, Sports Reporters - PFWA Members

1. Kansas City Chiefs (5-0): The train keeps a rolling for the Chiefs. After their Monday night win over the Saints, the Chiefs are 5-0 despite losing running back Isiah Pacheco and wide receiver Rashee Rice to injuries. The Chiefs are winning despite the struggles of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has thrown 6 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions in five games. Next: - Bye – Following week: N/A at San Francisco 49ers - Sun, Oct. 20, 1:25 PM PT – O/U: N/A (ATS: 2-3 – O/U: 3-2) 2....

Rams to use bye week to recover and bounce back

Fred Altieri, Sports Reporter

Bye Week couldn't have come at a better time for the 2024 Los Angeles Rams. Usually, it's preferable to have the break towards the latter part of the season schedule. But this season the team has only one win in five games, the worst start since Sean McVay became head coach in 2017. "This one hurts because there were a lot of opportunities that we had," said McVay following a 24-19 loss in Week 5 to the visiting Green Bay Packers at SoFi Stadium last Sunday. "What we have to do is use this bye...

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway Rescheduled for Sunday, October 20

The Brushy Mountain Powersports 150 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at North Wilkesboro Speedway has been rescheduled for Sunday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. ET. NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports announced earlier this week the postponement of the event, originally scheduled for this coming weekend, in cooperation with local authorities to ensure all local emergency resources remain dedicated to clean-up and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene's impact on the area. The race now becomes...

  • Two Democratic Clubs Cause Confusion Among Culver City Voters

    Dear Editor, Unless you're paying close attention, you may get confused between the two Democratic Clubs in town: the longstanding Culver City Democratic Club, and the relatively new Culver City Democrats United. Democrats United was formed in large part as an alternative to the more progressive Culver City Democratic Club. If you oppose the city's rent control ordinance or you don't want Culver City's minimum wage to be on par with LA, then you'll find like-minded individuals in Democrats United. But what you may not know is that while both...

  • Reader Questions Wording in Story

    Dear Editor, The language in your article, "New Details on Fatal Pedestrian Accident at National Blvd Intersection" normalizes traffic deaths and essentially treats pedestrian life as expendable in the name of vehicle speed. First, the title: Why no mention of a vehicle? It's like the title implies some agreement with readers that our streets should be deadly if you step into them and that being designed for speed (and death) is good and unavoidable. Was this just a pedestrian tripping and...

  • Culver City Observer Letters Policy

    Letters

    Letters and Commentaries are the opinion of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the newspaper. The Culver City Observer takes positions on issues and will be marked as editorials. E-mail letters are required. E-mail letters to: letters@culvercityobserver.com Letters provide a community forum open to all. Due to space limitations we ask letter writers to limit their topics to local concerns, Letters should be limited to 400 words or less. Letters must be received...

  • It's Time To Share Drug Savings With Medicare Patients

    Kenneth Thorpe, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University.

    By Kenneth Thorpe A simple reform to Medicare's prescription drug program could put billions of dollars back into seniors' pockets over the next decade. That'd help them better manage their chronic conditions and significantly lower overall health spending. Concerningly, that reform is gathering dust. That's a huge problem for seniors -- and one we need to fix sooner rather than later. More than two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries have multiple chronic illnesses. They face health care costs...

  • Jazz Nights in October

    The City of Culver City welcomes you enjoy Sunday evenings in October at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Talented jazz musicians will perform each Sunday, beginning at 7 PM. Tickets start at $10, with premium seats available for $20. Join us as we hear beautiful sound from award-winning musicians from across the nation. It is the perfect way to wind down your weekends in Downtown Culver City. Jazz Nights Lineup • October 6 - Néstor Torres, flautist (Afro Cuban Quintet) • October 13 - Jeremy...

  • Santa Monica College Theatre Arts to Stage "Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches"

    The Santa Monica College (SMC) Theatre Arts Department will perform "Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches" Sept. 27 - Oct. 6 in the Theatre Arts Main Stage on the SMC Main Campus, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. "Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches" tells the story of two troubled couples - one gay, one straight - facing different challenges as the AIDS crisis explodes in the 1980s. The play, spiced with a bit of fantasia, looks at the social, sexual, and religious...

  • Santa Monica College to Stage "Six Characters in Search of a Playwright"

    The Santa Monica College (SMC) Theatre Arts Department will present live performances of "Six Characters in Search of a Playwright" Oct. 18-27 in the Theatre Arts Studio Stage on the SMC Main Campus, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 and Oct. 25, and Saturday, Oct. 19 and Oct. 26. Matinees are at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20 and Oct. 27. Adapted from the play by Luigi Pirandello, "Six Characters in Search of a Playwright" tells the tale of a company of...

  • SMC Opens Fall 2024 Masters of Dance Series

    1

    The Santa Monica College (SMC) Dance Department opens its Fall 2024 Masters of Dance series with a line-up of master classes and learning workshops led by dance professionals. The series starts Sept. 26 with movement artist Stephanie Liapis leading a class focusing on self-awareness as a tool for connection to the body and its relationship to space. The Masters of Dance workshops are free, and the public is invited to attend as participants or as observers. Seating is limited and on a...

  • SMC Emeritus Gallery to Host Free Online Opening Reception for Online Akemi Watanabe

    The Santa Monica College (SMC) Emeritus Art Gallery will present a free online-only exhibition of colorful, highly detailed paintings and drawings by renowned artist and SMC Emeritus student Akemi Watanabe. The exhibition opens Thursday, Oct. 24, with a free, live Zoom Virtual Launch Event from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at smc.edu/emeritusgallery, where a link will go live at event time and take guests directly to the exhibition's opening reception. The opening reception - to be hosted by Emeritus...

  • SMC Barrett Gallery and The Black Lunch Table Host Free Gallery Reception Oct. 15 for "Converge+Vertex: Traversing the minor gesture of timelines" Exhibition

    The Santa Monica College (SMC) Pete & Susan Barrett Art Gallery and artist/archivist/activist group The Black Lunch Table present "Converge+Vertex: Traversing the minor gesture of timelines," a free exhibition of works by Black artists from the Los Angeles area exploring what has influenced their art and how they have influenced each other through intergenerational conversations via their artworks. The exhibition will be open to the public during gallery hours through May 11, 2025, with a free...

  • Ethel Kennedy Dies at 96

    It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our mother, Ethel Kennedy. She died this morning from complications related to a stroke suffered last week. Along with a lifetime's work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly. She was a devout Catholic and a daily communicant, and we are comforted in knowing she is reunited with...

  • Services Planned for Donald Edward Jacobs,Culver High Graduate Veteran, Creative Artist

    Donald Edward Jacobs passed away, Friday, Oct. 4. He was born in Mineola, N.Y., March 7, 1940, to Larry Jacobs, a reporter for the Washington Post, and Margaret M. Jacobs, a homemaker. When Don was 6, his parents divorced and his mother took him and his older brother, Tom, to California, where she had grown up. The three of them lived in a little house in West Los Angeles. When Don was 12, they moved to Culver City, Calif., where Don went to junior and senior high school. In 11th grade, Don was...

  • Dedicated Teacher Marshanne Love Will be Remembered at Celebration at El Rincon

    CCFT mourns the loss of longtime El Rincon Elementary teacher Marshanne Kendrick-Love. Celebration of her life Marshanne Love will be celebrated at El Rincon Elementary on Saturday October 19 from 10 am to noon. All are welcome to come and share memories and stories. Please wear her favorite color (purple) or anything Disney. Love, who passed away in June after battling cancer for almost two years, was a beloved teacher at El Rincon. Her community will gather to remember and honor her life and...

  • If you have already filed your DBA and it needs to be published, just scan the front page of the certified copy and email it to: publisher@culvercityobserver.com. We will publish it for 4 weeks. After the final run we will file a Proof of Publication with the county clerk. Our fee is $59. Be sure to include your phone number so we can call you for payment .I need to have this information to prepare the paperwork for your DBA: 1. Name you’ve selected for your business 2. Any additional names...

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